Lemon & Garlic

Two simple ingredients with exceptional flavor at Oil & Vinegar this October.  Who new that lemon and garlic could be so fun!  We are introducing Black Garlic to our foodie friends with this promotion; an amazing find from Korea. Black Garlic is where sweet meets savory; it is fermented garlic with a molasses-like richness and hints of tangy garlic.  Here is a fantastic Creamy Cheese and Black Garlic Dip recipe right from the Black Garlic website, only I used our tzatziki dip mix instead of the chives and it was delicious!

http://blackgarlic.com/category/recipes/creamy-cheese-and-black-garlic-dip

IGP Balsamic Vinegar

Oil & Vinegar is introducing its own private labeled Balsamics and we have carefully selected each one from the most respected producers in Modena, so I have decided to feature them here and revisit the intricate and sometimes complicated discussion about balsamic vinegar.

Because of the difficulties the consumer has in having to choose among a range of qualities, prices and descriptions of balsamic vinegar of Modena, along with the changes in the European laws regarding balsamic labeling, we have labeled our balsamics to give a clear, measurable level of quality to the balsamic lover.

Until July of 2009, most balsamic producers labeled their products with a number, implying the number of years that the balsamic was aged.   (Because of how balsamics are aged, by law in the European Union, balsamics can no longer be labeled with numbers or descriptive (and possibly misleading) words such as Reserve, Grand Reserve, Special, etc.  Balsamic condiments may still use numbers and descriptive labeling).  Here is why:

As we know, balsamic vinegar is aged in wooden barrels, or a series of wooden barrels.  Over time the grape must reduces, becoming thicker and sweeter, until the aging process is complete.  The methods used today are the same as centuries ago, the balsamic is drawn out of one barrel with a pipette and added to the next each time mixing some of the previous barrel with that of the current and so on, each year until the balsamic is bottled.  (Now to the reason we can’t use numbers anymore.) 

• Only the producer of the Balsamic knows how much he has actually drawn from one barrel and added to the next, so there is never a clear answer as to how aged a balsamic can be. 
• Each barrel is numbered and in some cases the balsamic maker would put the barrel number on the label yet let people believe it was the age of the balsamic. 
• Lastly, because there were no laws governing the production or labeling, what one producer was using as “15 year” could be another producers “5 year” in thickness and flavor.  

 Since the new laws governing the production and labeling of balsamic have taken effect, here is what you need to know:

• The balsamic makers themselves developed the regulations and agreed that the only way to properly judge a balsamic is by the density, viscosity and sugar content and that in effect, an actual number means nothing. 
• IGP Balsamic Vinegar must have an acidity level of at least 6% and for that reason it will always have a percentage of wine vinegar in it.
• DOP Tradizionale Balsamic is 100% grape must and is labeled “antico condimento…” It will not have the minimum 6% acidity required for the IGP.
• The DOP Tradizionale balsamic will go through a series of blind tastings before it is approved by the Consorzio di Balsamico di Modena (consortium of balsamic of Modena) and if approved, it will always be bottled in the same bottle; only the label will change, depending on the producer.

Now for a longer story about balsamics and in particular, about the Oil & Vinegar labeled Balsamics for those enthusiasts who just can’t get enough of this fascinating world.

 As we said before, with the new laws governing balsamic vinegar, the balsamic makers of Modena have agreed that the only way to truly judge the quality of a balsamic is by density, viscosity and sugar content. 

• Density which is its mass per volume.  To give you an idea of density, the density of water is measured as a 1; salt water 1.03; a marinade 1.3, syrup 1.4
• Viscosity is the liquids internal resistance to flow or the thickness of the product.
• Please note that when discussing density in the world of balsamic the discussion of thickness (viscosity) goes hand in hand.  To truly understand the difference here is an example: There are a lot of balsamic glazes and crèmes on the market that are becoming quite popular because they are very cheap in price, sweet in taste and thick in consistency.  These products are actually less dense than the IGP Balsamic Vinegar, they only have higher viscosity.
• Sugar content – the natural sugars that give the sweet flavor to the must.

The use of years, descriptive words such as “reserve”, “special” have been deemed misleading and inaccurate.  The only acceptable term still used is aged, because all IGP Balsamic Vinegars are aged a minimum of 3 years.

You may hear of formulas that exist for estimating the age of Balsamic Vinegar but there can never be an accurate formula for age when only the balsamic maker knows the percentage of must moved from one barrel to the next each year.

Oil & Vinegar Red Label is an ideal choice for frequent use on salads, grilled vegetables and can even be sprinkled in omelets.  It has a pleasant, delicate smell with a balanced flavor between sweet and sour.  The density is 1.23 – 1.25.  The Red Label Balsamic was harvested from raw material in barrels that are 20 years old.

Oil & Vinegar Bronze Label has a fruity bouquet and an even bittersweet flavor with a slight oak finish.  This balsamic vinegar is also good for everyday use on salads, pasta and meat, but goes equally well on cheeses, ice cream and strawberries.  The density is 1.25.  The Bronze Label Balsamic was harvested from raw material in barrels that are 30-35 years old.

Oil & Vinegar Silver Label has a delicate aroma of fresh fruit.  It is rich in flavor and has a full bodied taste.  The silver label is recommended with seafood, cheeses and desserts.  The density is 1.35.  The Silver Label raw material was harvested from barrels that are 100 years old.

Oil & Vinegar Gold Label is rich in grape-must and has a distinct fruit flavor reminiscent of the Trebbiano grape with tasting notes of the various wooden barrels.    Finish seafood and meat dishes; it is also recommended with ice cream, strawberries, wild berries or savor a spoonful straight from the bottle!  The density is between 1.35 and 1.37.  This spectacular balsamic is harvested from raw material from barrels from the 19^th century.

So stop by any of our stores and taste your way through this amazing new line of IGP balsamic vinegars of Modena.

Summer Salads

This is my favorite time of year to shop the produce section for fresh greens, delicious fruits and light, summertime vegetables. 

Oil &Vinegar has just the right ingredients to turn all your favorites into a delicious dish.  

With record high temperatures covering most of the US, it’s not easy to think about cooking in a hot kitchen, so I’d thought I’d share some easy to make salad recipes from our website that can be served at any meal.  

 To view these and more recipes or purchase products click here

Beach BBQ

Oil & Vinegar always celebrates the summer and Father’s Day with fun and tasty barbecue delights.  This year we kick it off with a Beach BBQ theme.  Our stores are full of new and easy to use ingredients and kitchen tools to make your grilling parties a success.  My favorite way to finish the party; grilling dessert of course!  Try this easy to prepare grilled peaches recipe:

Ingredients:

6 fresh peaches (or 1 can halved peaches)

150 ml Spanish dressing or 100ml of orange oil and 50 ml of sherry dressing

50 ml orange oil EV

Vanilla or chocolate ice cream

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Sugar to taste

Preparation:

Halve the peaches and marinate them overnight in the Spanish dressing (or 100 ml of orange oil with 50ml sherry vinegar), add sugar to taste. Sprinkle t50 ml of orange oil on top of the peaches just before grilling. Grill the peaches briefly on two sides on the barbecue. Serve the peaches warm with a scoop of ice cream. Garnish with chopped pecans.

View our new BBQ items and shop on line here

Celebrate Andalucia with Paella treats!

I love two things about our products at Oil & Vinegar.  First, they are easy to use, and second, they allow me to be creative with variations of my own.  Our chefs in Europe created this fun, Paella Appetizer for our Andalucia theme which is happening in stores now.

1 package risotto quattro formaggi
5 saffron threads
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 artichokes alla Contadina
2 pinches of smoked paprika

12 prawns, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
50 ml sherry vinegar
salt and pepper to taste   

 Prepare the risotto according to the package directions. Add the saffron to the risotto with the first ladle of chicken stock. Chop the artichokes and add them and the smoked paprika powder. Check if the mixture is still moist if not add some liquid. Keep everything warm. Meanwhile, squeeze the garlic cloves with a press and saute in olive oil. Add the prawns and sherry vinegar and saute until pink. Season the paella to taste with salt and pepper and divide over appetizer spoons. Place a shrimp on each appetizer spoon and serve hot.   

 I created my own variation as a main course for dinner.  I prepared the four cheese risotto according to the directions, added the artichokes, but left out the saffron and smoked paprika.  Instead of adding the prawns to the risotto, I decided to prepare them as directed in the appetizer recipe, sprinkle a touch of the smoked paprika on them and serve them alone as an appetizer before the risotto!

To view these and other Oil & Vinegar products click here

Celebrate Spain!

Oil & Vinegar starts May by celebrating Southern Spain with our Andalucia promotion.  Andalucia has a varied diet due to the many world influences of its past; from Portugal, to the Moorish and Moroccan influences of Africa; there is truly something for everyone in Spain and Oil & Vingar shares our favorite selections with you all month.

We start our journey by introducing a new Single Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Alcuadete, in the province of Jaen.  This oil is made from 100% Picual olives, from a family owned and operated grove dating back to 1850.  To ensure the highest quality, the oil is made solely from olives grown on the estate and, from picking to pressing; the entire production is managed on the farm using entirely environmentally friendly techniques.  All of the byproducts generated throughout the process are turned into compost and used to fertilize the olive groves, there by closing the production cycle.

The olives enter the production process within two hours of harvest.  They are classified by quality level in different areas of receiving to ensure that the oils coming from the different qualities is separated, guaranteeing the highest quality of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 

The mill is completely cleaned after the production of EVOO each day, leaving it in perfect condition for the next day.  Once extracted, the oil is stored in an underground cellar under optimum conditions in an inert atmosphere to preserve the aroma, flavor, natural antioxidants and vitamin complexes.  The oil is bottled only upon request to ensure the maximum quality is maintained.

This oil is unfiltered and has an acidity of 0.1%

Click here to purchase on line.  View more products from Andalucia here.

Our Olive Oil Promotion is in full swing and it is so exciting to revisit the colors, flavors, aromas and especially the stories of our existing estate oils.  We have taken such care in selecting not only the highest quality oils, but also capturing the passion of the families that produce them.  There are those that say that you can taste the wind, sun and rain in an olive oil as well as the passion of the person who made it!

One of my all time favorite oils and the most popular with our customers is our Bonsecco; a delicious, medium bodied, fruity estate oil from Tuscany.  Our relationship with Bonsecco goes back to the beginning of Oil & Vinegar to 1999; it was the start for both of us.  Oil & Vinegar was two stores, and Bonsecco was a very small farm producing only enough oil to enjoy, and not enough to sell.  As we have grown to 70 stores, Bonsecco has grown with us; and you can’t find it anywhere else!

Read all about Bonsecco, an interview with the producer, and our other extra virgin estate oils here, in this booklet about our oils, or stop in a store and receive the booklet free with a purchase of 250ml or more of extra virgin estate oil.

Extra Virgin

For the next few weeks Oil & Vinegar is returning to its roots with our Extra Virgin Olive Oil promotion.  After years of searching, Oil & Vinegar finally found a Moroccan olive oil that meets all the requisites to sit on our amphora wall.  Produced from olives grown on three family owned estates located at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, the olives are constantly monitored to ensure optimal ripeness and make sure that there is only a 20 minute lapse between harvesting and grinding.  This oil is made with 30% Moroccan Dahbia olives and 70% Spanish Arbequina olives.  This oil has an acidity of 0.2%, a well-balanced taste and complex profile.  The initial bouquet is of ripe olives with secondary aromas of apple and banana.  It also has hints of almond, tomato, fennel and artichoke.  On the pallet it is slightly sweet, and reminds you of almonds with a fruity, slightly bitter finish.  It is kosher certified and has one an array of awards around the world. 

Use this or any of our oils with this recipe for Parmesan Twists:

INGREDIENTS

·        1 package puff pastry

·        1 tablespoon EV Olive oil

·        1 tin Parmesan Dipper herbs

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Mix the Dipper herbs with some water and olive oil to make a paste. Spread the Dipper herbs on a sheet of puff pastry and cut this in strips about 1/2 inch wide. Twist the strips 2 times so they form a spiral. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes until golden brown. Try with all our dippers for an array of great flavors!

For a printable version of the recipe or to purchase ingredients on line click here!

Easy to do Bleu!

We recently introduced a scrumptious Roquefort Crème that is quickly becoming a favorite in our stores so I wanted to share some fun facts about Roquefort and delicious, easy recipes for you to try.

• Roquefort cheese is made exclusively from the milk of Lacaune Sheep.
• It takes 12 liters of milk to make 5.75 pounds of Roquefort
• A “master cheese ager” known as Maitre Affineur, cares for the cheese as it ages.
• Roquefort cheese is aged in caves.
• Roquefort cheese has a PDO and can only use the name if it is aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon.

Our Roquefort Crème has all the strengths of Roquefort Cheese, but has a softer finish that is easier on the pallet and won’t overpower lighter dishes. You can serve it right out of the jar on our fornelli crackers or use it as an ingredient in a variety of dishes.

Roquefort Crème puffs

For the cream puffs:

• 3 1/2 tablespoons butter

• 1/2 cup flour

• 2 eggs beaten

• 1/2 cup milk

• pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 1 jar Roquefort crème
• 5 oz cream cheese
• 4 tbsp whipped cream
• Piment d’espelette
• fresh parsley to garnish

PREPARATION

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to400° F. Put the milk in a saucepan and add the butter and salt. Bring the milk to a boil. When the butter has melted add all the flour and stir. Remove from heat. Stir in the eggs one by one; add each one only after the previous one is mixed in. The dough should be glossy. Put the dough in a piping bag and pipe about 30 small balls on the baking sheet. Bake the puffs 15 minutes until golden. Bake 30 puffs and allow to cool completely. Create the mousse by mixing all the ingredients, and then spoon the mousse into a piping bag. Cut the puffs in half and pipe the cream cheese mixture in. Serve with fresh herbs on a serving

Make a gourmet salad dressing:

1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar IGP

3 Tablespoons Oulibo Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Roquefort Crème

3 Tablespoons of water

Salt & Pepper to taste

Try this vinaigrette over mixed greens with pears or dried cranberries with spicy walnuts

Looking for some other easy uses?  Stuff olives with the Roquefort Crème and garnish a Martini, or try my new favorite; spread it on a burger and make gourmet blue cheese burgers! Visit an Oil & Vinegar store near you, or order the Roquefort Crème or other highlighted products online at http://www.oilandvinegarusa.com/

Valentine's Day at Oil & Vinegar

With Valentine’s Day just a few days away I thought I would highlight some of Oil & Vinegar’s favorite choices for sharing your passion with that someone special. 

For the traditionalists, you can’t go wrong with our Belgian Chocolate Fondue, available in Milk or Dark Chocolate.  As we all know, chocolate fondue is delicious with bananas, strawberries, and pineapple, but why not try it this time with our Italian Amaretti Cookies, or Cantuccini?

Try something sweet with a twist with our Strawberry Balsam Vinegar.  It’s red, it’s tasty and you can gift it in a heart shaped bottle or even our signature Message in a Bottle with your own sweet message inside.  

Use the strawberry balsam vinegar with your favorite oil on a salad; our pairing of choice – white truffle oil; or, try this easy to make Strawberry Mascarpone Tart:

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, whisked

2 lbs strawberries, stemmed and quartered

1/2 cup strawberry balsam vinegar +

1 Tbsp strawberry balsam vinegar

12 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup confectioner's sugar

Roll out puff pastry sheet to 12x12 inches. Place on a baking sheet. Fold the edges over to form a border. Prick bottom of pasty with tines of a fork. Chill for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush on egg wash and place in hot oven.  Cook until evenly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven to a rack and let cool completely.

Gently combine strawberries, half of the orange zest, and the ½ cup of strawberry balsam vinegar in large bowl so that the strawberries are coated. Let the mixture stand for 30 minutes.

Mix together the mascarpone cheese, the remaining strawberry balsam vinegar and the vanilla in a medium bowl until well combined. Refrigerate until needed.

After the strawberries have soaked for 30 minutes, drain the liquid out of the strawberry mixture into a small saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil on medium high heat. Boil until the liquid has reduced to the consistency of syrup, remove from heat and let cool.

Spread the mascarpone mixture over the puffed pastry.  Arrange the strawberries on top of the mascarpone mixture and brush the strawberry glaze over the top.

Serve with a glass of sparkling wine with a drop of Strawberry Balsam Vinegar inside.

Want a bigger idea?  Put all these ideas in one gift basket and have it wrapped, complimentary, in our signature style!  

Passionate about 2011

2011 brings some fantastic new promotions at Oil & Vinegar and I can’t wait to get started. Of course we started the year with our exciting grab bag promotion, “Winter Specials”. They are moving fast, so be sure to stop in and pick one up while supplies last!

We are upping things a notch in March with an exciting olive oil promotion called Extra Virgin where we will be introducing an award winning oil from Morocco, a late harvest, Novello from Italy, both from the tap and a prepackaged EVOO from Italy made with 100% Moraiolo olives for a fresh, fruity taste.

After that we will be exploring the Andalucía region of Spain with wonderful new tapas, oils and table accents. There is so much more, but I don’t want to give it all away, so check back in a few weeks for an in-depth story about Extra Virgin and more news about upcoming products, recipes and events.